Enalapril Maleate
About Enalapril Maleate
Enalapril Maleate is a prescription medicine used to lower high blood pressure and manage heart failure. By treating these conditions, this medicine helps protect your heart and reduces your risk of experiencing a stroke or heart attack. It is also prescribed to protect kidney function in people with diabetes who have high blood pressure.
For the best results, you must take Enalapril Maleate consistently every day, exactly as your doctor has directed. You can take this medicine with or without food, but it is best to take it at the same time each day to keep a steady amount of medicine in your body. Combining this medicine with a low-sodium diet, regular moderate exercise, and weight management can significantly improve your results.
While taking Enalapril Maleate, you may experience some common, mild side effects such as a dry cough, dizziness, or feeling unusually tired. Most people tolerate this medication well, but you must contact your doctor immediately if you experience serious side effects like swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat, or if you develop yellowing of your eyes or skin.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Enalapril Maleate if you have a history of kidney disease, liver disease, or high potassium levels in your blood. Do not take this if you are pregnant, as it can cause serious, life-threatening harm to an unborn baby. You should also avoid this medicine if you have ever had a severe allergic reaction that caused swelling of your face, limbs, lips, or tongue.
This medicine can interact with certain other treatments, such as potassium supplements, specific water pills, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen. Drinking alcohol while taking Enalapril Maleate should be limited, as it can cause your blood pressure to drop too low, leading to dizziness or fainting. Pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and elderly individuals should consult their doctor for personalised safety advice.
Uses of Enalapril Maleate
Medicinal Benefits
When used as directed as part of your treatment plan, this medicine may provide the following benefits:
- Lowers blood pressure: Helps lower high blood pressure, reducing the strain on your heart and blood vessels.
- Supports heart function: Helps reduce the workload on the heart in people with heart failure, which may improve symptoms such as breathlessness and tiredness.
- Protects kidney health: Helps slow the progression of kidney damage in some people with diabetes and high blood pressure.
- Reduces the risk of cardiovascular complications: Long-term treatment may lower the risk of complications such as stroke, heart attack, and heart failure associated with uncontrolled high blood pressure.
- Supports long-term cardiovascular health: Helps maintain healthy heart and blood vessel function when used alongside a healthy lifestyle and regular medical care.
Directions for Use
- Enalapril Maleate can be taken with or without food, if it upsets your stomach, take it with food.
- Take Enalapril Maleate twice daily in the morning and evening or as advised by your doctor.
- Swallow the Enalapril Maleate as a whole with a glass of water.
- Do not chew, crush, or break it.
Storage
Side Effects of Enalapril Maleate
Common Side Effects (Usually mild):
- Dry, persistent cough
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Headache
- Feeling unusually tired or weak
Serious Side Effects (Consult your doctor right away):
- Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat, or limbs (signs of angioedema)
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes, which may indicate liver damage
- Chest pain or a rapid, irregular heartbea
- Severe stomach pain
Drug Warnings
- Monitor your blood pressure: Check your blood pressure regularly and keep a record to share with your doctor during follow-up appointments.
- Rise slowly: Stand up slowly from sitting or lying down, especially when starting treatment or after a dose increase, to reduce the risk of dizziness or fainting.
- Do not stop taking this medicine without medical advice: Continue taking it even if you feel well, as high blood pressure often has no symptoms.
- Tell your doctor about a persistent dry cough: A dry cough can occur during treatment. Consult your doctor if it becomes troublesome or does not go away.
- Attend regular check-ups: Your doctor may arrange blood tests to monitor your kidney function and potassium levels during treatment.
- Seek immediate medical attention for swelling: Stop taking this medicine and seek emergency medical help if you develop swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat, or have difficulty breathing, as these may be signs of a serious allergic reaction (angioedema).
Drug Interactions
- Potassium supplements or potassium-sparing diuretics (water tablets): Taking these with this medicine may increase the risk of hyperkalaemia (high potassium levels in the blood). Your doctor may monitor your potassium levels if they are used together.
- NSAIDs (pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen): Regular use may reduce the blood pressure-lowering effect of this medicine and increase the risk of kidney problems, especially if you have kidney disease or are older.
- Other blood pressure medicines: Taking these medicines together may increase the risk of low blood pressure, particularly when starting treatment or after a dose increase.
- Lithium: This medicine may increase lithium levels in the blood and raise the risk of side effects. Your doctor may monitor your lithium levels if both medicines are prescribed.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeAvoid alcohol consumption with Enalapril Maleate as it may increase the risk of low blood pressure and cause adverse effects such as dizziness, fainting, light-headedness or headache.
Pregnancy
unsafePlease consult a doctor if you are pregnant. Enalapril Maleate is not recommended for pregnant women especially in the second and third trimesters as it may cause birth defects or serious harm to the baby.
Breast Feeding
unsafeEnalapril Maleate may be excreted in human milk. Therefore, Enalapril Maleate is not recommended for breastfeeding mothers as it may be unsafe for the baby. However, please consult a doctor.
Driving
cautionEnalapril Maleate may cause dizziness or tiredness in some people. Therefore, avoid driving if you feel dizzy or tired after taking Enalapril Maleate.
Liver
cautionEnalapril Maleate should be taken with caution, especially if you have a history of Liver diseases/conditions. The dose may be adjusted by your doctor as required.
Kidney
cautionEnalapril Maleate should be taken with caution, especially if you have a history of Kidney diseases/conditions. The dose may be adjusted by your doctor as required.
Children
cautionEnalapril Maleate is recommended for children only if prescribed by a doctor.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Reduce your salt intake: Follow a low-salt diet to help control your blood pressure and improve the effectiveness of this medicine.
- Avoid potassium-containing salt substitutes: Ask your doctor or pharmacist before using salt substitutes or potassium supplements, as this medicine can increase potassium levels in your blood.
- Stay well hydrated: Drink enough fluids, especially during hot weather or illness. If you have heart failure or kidney disease, follow your doctor's advice about how much fluid you should drink.
- Stay physically active: Aim for regular physical activity, such as walking or other moderate exercise, if recommended by your doctor, to support your heart health.
- Limit alcohol: Alcohol may increase the blood pressure-lowering effect of this medicine and increase the risk of dizziness or fainting.
- Maintain a healthy weight: Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight can help improve blood pressure control and reduce the strain on your heart.
Special Advise
Regular monitoring of blood pressure, kidney functioning, amount of electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, creatinine, and liver enzyme levels are recommended while taking Enalapril Maleate.
Low salt diet and regular exercise are recommended along with Enalapril Maleate for effective results.
If you are about to under any surgery, receive anesthetics, LDL apheresis treatment (cholesterol removal from blood using a machine), or desensitization treatment, inform your doctor that you are taking Enalapril Maleate.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
High blood pressure (hypertension): It is a condition in which the blood exerts increased pressure on the walls of blood vessels leading to hypertension. This condition can lead to hardened arteries (blood vessels), decreasing the blood and oxygen flow to the heart. Raised blood pressure can cause chest pain (angina) and heart attack (when blood supply to the heart is blocked). Additionally, high blood pressure also causes brain damage (stroke) and kidney failure. Symptoms of high blood pressure include headache, dizziness, nose bleed, changes in vision, chest pain, weakness and dyspnoea (shortness of breath). However, most of the time, the signs and symptoms of hypertension are none.
FAQs
While taking Enalapril Maleate, do not take potassium supplements or use salt substitutes containing potassium unless your healthcare provider recommends them, as they can increase the risk of high potassium levels (hyperkalemia). Your healthcare provider may also advise you to limit excessive intake of potassium-rich foods, depending on your kidney function and blood test results. Always check with your healthcare provider before starting any new supplements or making major dietary changes.
No, you must not take Enalapril Maleate if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. It can cause serious harm or death to an unborn baby, especially during the second and third trimesters. If you discover you are pregnant, stop taking this medicine immediately and talk to your doctor.
This medicine prevents the breakdown of a substance called bradykinin in your lungs, which can irritate your airways and cause a persistent, dry cough. If this cough becomes uncomfortable or keeps you awake, talk to your doctor.
It is best to avoid or strictly limit alcohol while taking this medicine. Alcohol can increase the blood pressure-lowering effect of Enalapril Maleate, making you feel excessively dizzy, lightheaded, or faint when standing up. Talk to your doctor.
Yes, your doctor will likely order routine blood tests to check your kidney function and measure the level of potassium in your blood, especially during the first few weeks of treatment or after a dose change. Talk to your doctor.
Yes, dizziness or lightheadedness is a common side effect, especially when you first start taking this medicine or when your dose is increased. Stand up slowly from a sitting or lying position to help prevent this. Talk to your doctor.
No, you should not stop taking this medicine suddenly, even if you feel completely well. High blood pressure often has no symptoms, and stopping the medicine can cause your blood pressure to spike dangerously. Talk to your doctor.
